Tag: 2026

  • Keir Starmer – 2026 Speech on Banning Social Media for Children

    Keir Starmer – 2026 Speech on Banning Social Media for Children

    The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 15 June 2026.

    Good morning.

    Now before I start on social media…  

    I want first to welcome the breakthrough reached last night between the US and Iran…   

    And I congratulate President Trump, the mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, and all those involved. 

    This is a hugely significant moment. 

    We have long called for deescalation.  

    And it is vital that all parties seize this opportunity…  

    To secure stability in the region… 

    And restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz…  

    Which, in turn will ease the economic pressures felt by people here in the United Kingdom and around the world. 

    We will now work closely with our partners to support this agreement… 

    And to ensure it turns into a durable, lasting peace. 

    **** 

    Now turning to social media…  

    And can I say how great it is to see so many people here… 

    Who played such a key role in the consultation. 

    And you know – some people are dismissive of processes like this. 

    But policymaking that doesn’t listen very carefully to the voices of those it seeks to serve… 

    That is not how this Government carries out its business. 

    And so, I just want to thank you for the role that you have all played… 

    And indeed – I want to thank all the people who have campaigned so courageously on this issue… 

    Including those who have done so after suffering terrible tragedy or loss…  

    Thank you. 

    Because today is a big moment for our country. 

    This is a big step… 

    Real change for our children and our future. 

    Because today – I can announce… 

    That the Government will ban access to social media… 

    For all children under the age of sixteen. 

    This is not something I do lightly. 

    And I will not present it as cost-free… 

    As if social media has brought no benefits to young people… 

    Because clearly that is wrong. 

    But Government is always about choices.   

    And its clear to me that a full ban is the right choice. 

    Now I come to it as a parent myself… 

    I know exactly the fears that we all feel when we’re thinking about this issue. 

    You know, all I have ever wanted for my own children, hand on heart… 

    Is for them to be happy and for them to be safe. 

    And I think that’s what any parent wants. 

    But I ask the question now… 

    Do we truly believe that social media creates a happy environment for our children? 

    Do we truly believe that it’s a place where they can feel safe? 

    I don’t think I even need to answer those questions – do I? 

    Every parent can see it with their own eyes… 

    Social media is making children unhappy. 

    It’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them… 

    And it could even be harming their mental health. 

    Exposing them to content that is dangerous… 

    Because that’s what grabs the attention. 

    It’s designed to be addictive – of course it is. 

    Features like the infinite scroll… 

    They’re designed to lock you in for hours. 

    And if nothing else, there’s an opportunity cost to that. 

    It stops children doing their homework… 

    Reading… 

    Playing with their friends outside… 

    Going to bed at a decent hour.  

    Now that may not sound like much… 

    But these are the activities that help a child develop into an adult…

    We know how important they are.  

    We just never thought that something would come along to threaten them. 

    To be honest – I feel for this generation. 

    I think back to my own childhood – and yes, the early 1970s weren’t always a picnic. 

    But we didn’t have to deal with anything like this… 

    A technology that intrudes into every corner of a life… 

    Almost impossible to escape… 

    That records every mistake.  

    To deal with that, as a teenager… 

    On top of everything else… 

    That’s hard. 

    I feel for parents too. 

    I mean as a parent you always want to make the right choice for your child … 

    Which can face a little resistance in the teenage years… 

    Believe you me! 

    But parents just want to do the best for their kids… 

    In a way that’s what being a parent means. 

    But in this world, with this technology…  

    It is hard as a parent to know what to do. 

      And so, I think most parents will welcome this action… 

    I think they will welcome a clear and decisive choice… 

    And they will welcome a Government that stands by them… 

    That supports them to do the best for their children… 

    And that fights, for their happiness and safety… 

    Against the most powerful companies in the world. 

    Because this could be a fight – and to this point it has been a fight. 

    But it doesn’t have to be – I always prefer the politics of partnership… 

    And I fundamentally believe that we must harness the power of technology… 

    To build a stronger, fairer Britain. 

    But we must also protect our children. 

    And so, I want this message to be heard loud and clear… 

    I am not prepared to compromise… 

    On the safety and happiness of our children… 

    That is why this ban must happen… 

    That is why this ban will happen. 

    But it won’t be easy. 

    I mean some technology companies want us to think that social media is unchangeable… 

    Part of an almost natural order… 

    But we have to resist that kind of learned helplessness… 

    We have agency… 

    We can change it and we will. 

    Yes, it’s hard. 

    Hard to legislate for… 

    Hard to regulate… 

    Hard to enforce.  

    That’s why we’ve sought a wide range of views on this…

    That’s why we’ve listened to people… 

    Had a conversation…   

    We’ve looked carefully at the evidence… 

    Learnt from countries, like Australia, that are taking similar steps

    And we’re not just bringing forward a ban… 

    We’re going further. 

    We’re taking world-leading action on gaming services and livestreaming platforms… 

    Where, at the moment, strangers can contact any child unchecked. 

    Just think about that… 

    Is there a situation in the offline world… 

    Where you would just let your child pair up… 

    With a stranger… 

    An adult that you don’t know anything about? 

    No – so we’re taking action on that. 

    And look – we know perfectly well… 

    That we will have to adapt our approach as technology changes. 

    But, building on our experience with the Online Safety act… 

    We do have an understanding of how to apply age verification.  

    And because of powers we took in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act… 

    We can now move at pace… 

    And crucially – we can adapt as technology changes… 

    We have those powers. 

    So we are ready and confident that this ban can be effective. 

    Now – will it mean that no child ever logs onto social media again… 

    No. 

    But look – this might shock you – but it doesn’t shock parents of teenagers… 

    They get around other laws too! 

    But we don’t say – oh, look a teenager managed to  

    get a drink somehow… 

    So let’s not bother banning alcohol sales to children –

    We don’t do that do we? 

    That would be utterly ridiculous. 

    And so, I just don’t accept that argument.   

    Laws are rules… 

    But they are also an expression of our values… 

    They shape the social contract. 

    And so this will change the conversations that parents have… 

    And the expectations of children, over time… 

    It will make a huge difference. 

    It will make our children safer. 

    It will make our children happier. 

    It will give them more time, more security,  

    more freedom to grow up… 

    More opportunity. 

    And that, at the end of the day is what this Government is about. 

    It is why so many of the investments that we’ve made… 

    Are about supporting children and young people. 

    In childcare… 

    New nurseries, 

    Family hubs… 

    Apprenticeships… 

    Tackling child poverty… 

    Mental health support… 

    Technical Colleges… 

    In a youth guarantee for young people struggling to find work. 

    And today – it’s exactly the same approach… 

    Now this isn’t just about taking something away… 

    Because we’re also investing in music, culture, art, sport… 

    All those activities that we know are so important to childhood… 

    Particularly for children who do not usually get  

    those opportunities. 

    So when you put all this together… 

    These policies are not just fixes for our problem… 

    They are the building blocks of a different Britain altogether… 

    One where we know that our children are safe, happy and secure… 

    To go as far as their talent and their effort will take them. 

    That is all any parent wants… 

    They want to know that Britain will be better for their children… 

    that they will get a fair chance… 

    And that’s what these changes are about… 

    Restoring that hope for every family… 

    A stronger Britain… 

    A fairer Britain… 

    And above all… 

    A Britain where we invest in the future of every single child. 

    That is why we are taking this step… 

    And it is the right step for Britain. 

    Thank you very much.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of British High Commissioner to Nigeria – Peter Vowles [June 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of British High Commissioner to Nigeria – Peter Vowles [June 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 June 2026.

    Mr Peter Vowles has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in succession to Dr Richard Montgomery CMG.

    Mr Vowles will take up his appointment during September 2026.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name:  Peter Vowles 

    2023 to presentHarare, HM Ambassador  
    2022 to 2023FCDO, Transformation Director  
    2021 to 2022Yangon, HM Ambassador  
    2018 to 2021DFID, Director, Asia, Caribbean and Overseas Territories 
    2016 to 2018 Kenya, DFID Country Director 
    2013 to 2016 DFID, Head of Programme Delivery  
    2010 to 2013 Democratic Republic of Congo, Deputy DFID Country Director  
    2007 to 2010 India, Head of Global Partnerships  
    2006 to 2007 Afghanistan, Governance and Security Team Leader   
    2006Joined DFID  
    2005 to 2006 Mott MacDonald, Health and Development Consultant   
    2003 to 2005 Bangladesh, Population and Health Programme Director   
    2002 to 2003 Bangladesh, World Bank Health Adviser  
    2000 to 2002 National Health Service, Management Training Scheme   
    1999 to 2000 Raleigh International, Head of Projects  
    1996 to 1999 Zimbabwe, Policy and Programme Manager, Students Partnership Worldwide  
    1992 to 1993Zimbabwe, Teacher, Ministry of Education Sports and Culture
  • Liz Kendall – 2026 Comments on Social Media Ban for Children

    Liz Kendall – 2026 Comments on Social Media Ban for Children

    The comments made by Liz Kendall, the Technology Secretary, on 15 June 2026.

    Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations. 

    Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands. 

    My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver.

  • Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on Social Media Ban for Children

    Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on Social Media Ban for Children

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 15 June 2026.

    Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever. 

    I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.  

    That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back. 

    This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Social media to be banned for under-16s in landmark government move to give kids their childhood back [June 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Social media to be banned for under-16s in landmark government move to give kids their childhood back [June 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 15 June 2026.

    Social media platforms to be blocked from offering services to under-16s, marking a line in the sand and setting a new normal for future generations.

    • UK will go further to protect kids with world-leading additional restrictions on harmful features online such as live streaming and strangers communicating with children 
    • Government action shows clear choice to side with families over tech companies to put power back in parents’ hands and give kids the childhood they deserve 
    • Decisive action – backed by 9 in 10 parents – expected to be brought to Parliament before Christmas, with protections expected to come into force in Spring 2027 

    Children will be given back their childhoods thanks to government action to ban social media platforms from offering services to under-16s, with less time for scrolling and more time for play. 

    The plans will set a new normal for future generations, kickstarting a cultural shift and driving forward the government’s fight to give every child the best start in life. 

    The government plans to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia. This would capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. The ban will therefore include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. We do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.

    In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s. These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites. 

    Restrictions on these functionalities will also be on by default for under 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at 16. The government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and will set out more detail in July. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:  

    Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever. 

    I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.  

    That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back. 

    This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.

    So-called AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots – designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users – will have to enforce a minimum age of 18. Similar intimate functionalities will be restricted for under-18s on AI chatbots more widely. 

    Taken together, these measures will mean a much more comprehensive model than just a blanket ban on social media — one that responds to how children experience harm online, rather than just where it happens. 

    The changes will back parents grappling with the risks for children that come from the online world and help empower them by providing a clear decision on what is safe and age-appropriate for children. 

    This is a decisive first step by the government which marks a clear choice to put children’s wellbeing first and give them a healthy life online. We stand ready to take further measures in the future.

    Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: 

    Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations. 

    Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands. 

    My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver.

    The government will also learn the lessons from Australia’s experience by introducing more highly effective age assurance (HEAA) measures to support compliance, making it far harder for children to bypass safeguards. 

    Ofcom will conduct a rapid study on what is effective age assurance for verifying whether someone is over 16. The Secretary of State has also written to the new Chair of Ofcom to ask for an urgent review of Ofcom’s enforcement capabilities with a clear enforcement strategy to be published as soon as possible.

    In her letter, the Secretary of State confirmed the government will ensure Ofcom has the funding it needs to carry out its new responsibilities – as well as continue its vital work to enforce the existing provisions of the Online Safety Act, including protecting women and girls online, tackling harmful content that puts vulnerable people at risk, and taking action against serious illegal activity such as child sexual abuse material and online fraud and scams.  

    Today’s announcement follows one of the biggest national conversations held by this government, with more than 116,000 responses submitted by parents, children and experts across the country. The responses showed overwhelming public backing for tougher action. 9 in 10 parents said they would support a social media ban for children under 16.

    The majority of young people also backed action, with two-thirds agreeing that children younger than 16 should not be allowed to use at least some social media platforms. 

    On social media services, real-time content makes harmful material harder to moderate, and algorithmic feeds can intensify exposure to dangerous, distressing or overly engaging material.

    Parents rightly expect government to take action as quickly as possible, which is why the government has already taken powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act to act fast — using secondary legislation to introduce targeted protections without needing to wait to bring in a whole new Act. This means the first set of regulations could be in effect in Spring 2027. 

    Today’s action builds on the government’s work to date to go further and faster to protect children online and fight for their wellbeing. Last week, the Prime Minister challenged tech companies so that Britain will be the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images – with a 3-month deadline to make meaningful progress. 

    This watershed moment will come alongside the government’s drive to remove barriers to opportunity and set every child up for happy, fulfilling lives. Yesterday, the government set out further steps to make sure children in every part of the country get greater access to enrichment opportunities in sport, creative activities, nature and the arts both in and out of school.

    This builds on wider work to halve the participation gap and reclaim childhood for all young people, including through reforms to the curriculum so that every child gets the skills they need to get on in life, and support throughout their school years to explore and develop their talents, regardless of their background or where they live.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint E4 Leaders’ Statement on the US-Iran peace deal [June 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint E4 Leaders’ Statement on the US-Iran peace deal [June 2026]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 June 2026.

    Joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy on the US-Iran peace deal.

    We warmly welcome the announcement of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. We congratulate the United States, the Iranian government and all those involved, including Pakistan, Qatar and all other mediators, on this diplomatic breakthrough.

    This is a moment of opportunity to restore regional stability and stabilise the global economy.

    It is now vital that the detailed negotiations are concluded and this agreement is implemented rapidly and comprehensively. We are ready to support that effort.

    The urgent re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation is essential. We are committed to playing our part to achieve this —in accordance with our respective constitutional requirements— including through a strictly defensive and independent mission to reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine clearance operations.

    Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the US, Iran and the IAEA to this end. We are prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran on its nuclear programme.

    We will work intensively with the US, Iran and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.

    We also reaffirm our full support to the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and the importance of a robust ceasefire.

  • Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on the Peace Deal between the United States and Iran

    Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on the Peace Deal between the United States and Iran

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 15 June 2026.

    I warmly welcome today’s agreement reached between the United States and Iran. This is a hugely important step forward in ending the war, ensuring regional stability and re-opening the Strait of Hormuz. I congratulate President Trump and the mediators from Pakistan, Qatar and elsewhere who have contributed to this breakthrough. We have long urged de-escalation and this is the progress we had hoped to see. 
     
    Attention must now turn to fully implementing the memorandum of understanding to ensure the Strait reopens and remains fully and permanently open, and that the detailed elements of the nuclear agreement are finalised. We stand ready to support the technical talks that will now begin. Our priority is that this becomes a durable and lasting peace, and we will work with international partners to support that. 
     
    We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz, to begin easing the severe economic impacts that have been felt for several months – on families here in the UK and around the world. 
     
    We will continue to work with partners to support this – including, if required, through standing up the defensive, independent multilateral mission which the UK and France have taken a leading role in planning up to this point, particularly to offer support on mine clearance in an agreed way. 
     
    For any peace to endure, it is essential that the commitments made, particularly in relation to Iran’s nuclear programme, are robust, verifiable and fully implemented. It remains the UK’s firm and longstanding position that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.

  • Blair McDougall – 2026 Statement on Companies House Accounts Reform

    Blair McDougall – 2026 Statement on Companies House Accounts Reform

    The statement made by Blair McDougall, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Business and Trade, in the House of Commons on 9 June 2026.

    The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 included measures to reform how companies report information and what information they report when filing their annual accounts with Companies House.

    The reforms include:

    Requiring small companies and micro entities to file profit and loss accounts with Companies House as other companies do;

    removing the option for companies to file abridged accounts;

    a strengthened eligibility statement for all companies claiming an audit exemption;

    the ability for the registrar to require all companies to file accounts via software—using inline extensible business reporting language (iXBRL) format; and

    requiring component parts of the filed accounts and reports to all be filed together.

    We also plan to bring forward secondary legislation to reduce the number of times a company can shorten its accounting reference period and introduce annotations to the register where a company has not complied with a notice regarding compliance of its accounts with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

    ECCTA 2023 also included a requirement for small companies to file a directors’ report. However, as part of the Government’s modernising of corporate reporting programme, the Government announced that we will remove the requirement for any company to produce a directors’ report as part of their annual report and accounts. This change will therefore no longer apply.

    The accounts reforms seek to improve the transparency, accuracy and reliability of data on the companies register, to inform business decisions, modernise practices in line with other countries, and tackle economic crime.

    In June 2025, Companies House communicated that the reforms would be implemented in April 2027. This sparked some concern about the impact some of the reforms might have on businesses. As a result, we paused implementation to take time to engage with a range of stakeholders.

    We have listened carefully to stakeholders’ concerns and after some consideration have taken the decision to proceed with the reforms, but with two changes.

    First, we are proceeding with requiring small companies and micro-entities to file profit and loss accounts, but they will be able to opt out of having these published on the public register. We have taken this decision in response to concerns from the business and investment community around the commercial risks for smaller companies of disclosing this information, and the potential impact on investment opportunities.

    Details of how smaller companies can opt out of publication will be confirmed in due course. Companies who wish to enjoy the benefits of publication, such as improved access to finance and enhanced transparency, can still do so.

    Where a company opts out of publishing their profit and loss accounts, Companies House, law enforcement and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will still have access to identify and tackle fraud, economic crime and tax evasion.

    Second, to give companies and software providers more time to prepare, we will postpone implementing these reforms by one year, from April 2027 to April 2028.

    We will also proceed with mandating accounts filing in iXBRL format from April 2028. This will improve the quality of financial data for register users and provide more opportunities over time for companies’ accounts data to be aggregated, compared and subjected to analysis in different ways for use more widely.

    We will continue to engage with stakeholders as we prepare the necessary secondary legislation and proceed to implement these important reforms.

  • Hilary Benn – 2026 Statement on the Belfast Attack

    Hilary Benn – 2026 Statement on the Belfast Attack

    The statement made by Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 10 June 2026.

    In my response to yesterday’s urgent question, I committed to provide the House with a further update on the facts surrounding the horrific attack in north Belfast on 8 June.

    My thoughts remain with the victim and his family, and with the wider community, who have been left shaken by these brutal events.

    The scenes of disorder that we witnessed in some parts of Northern Ireland last night were shameful. It has put innocent lives at risk, injured police officers and caused terror to people—forced to flee their homes by mobs of masked men. I know that the whole House will utterly condemn these attacks, the burning of cars and homes and the other related violence that we have seen. There is no justification at all for this type of thuggery.

    I spoke with the chief constable yesterday and have seen him this morning in Belfast. I have extended my full support to the Police Service of Northern Ireland as it seeks to protect the public, and I have wished the officers injured in last night’s disturbances a speedy recovery.

    The Home Office confirmed yesterday afternoon that the individual is a Sudanese national with leave to remain in the UK until 2028. He entered the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status the same year. The suspect says that he travelled from mainland Europe to Dublin and then on to Belfast, where he claimed asylum.

    The PSNI yesterday stated that it has no information to suggest that this was a terrorist-related incident.

    The suspect was charged last night with attempted murder, possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and threats to kill.

    Although nationality, immigration and asylum are excepted matters under the devolution settlement, the Home Office maintains close co-operation with the Northern Ireland Executive. The Home Office operates the same range of immigration functions in Northern Ireland as it does across the rest of the United Kingdom.

    Nearly 70,000 individuals were returned or removed from the UK between July 2024 and the end of March 2026. This represents a 41% increase on the number of returns recorded in the previous 21-month period.

    Of the total returns in the year ending March 2026, nearly 5,900 were of foreign national offenders—an increase of 13% compared to 5,203 FNO returns in the previous year.

    Foreign nationals who commit crimes should be under no illusion: the law will be strictly enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue deportation.

    This attack was deeply shocking and public concern is understandable, but this moment requires calm leadership. We must stand united in rejecting any attempts to use this incident to incite violence, which, as we saw last night, only harms local communities. There is absolutely no excuse for further disorder and the route to justice will be achieved solely through the work of the PSNI and the legal system. I would encourage anyone with relevant information to contact the police.

  • Angela Eagle – 2026 Statement on Bovine TB Control in England

    Angela Eagle – 2026 Statement on Bovine TB Control in England

    The statement made by Angela Eagle, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, in the House of Commons on 10 June 2026.

    Today, I can inform the House of the publication of the co-designed bovine tuberculosis control strategy for England, developed and recommended by the steering group of the Bovine TB Partnership. It is now available on the Government-industry TB Hub website.

    We said in our manifesto that we would work with farmers and scientists on measures to eradicate bovine TB, and that is exactly what this process has done. The recommended strategy reflects the contribution of farmers, vets, scientists, industry representatives, and members of the public, brought together through several dedicated working groups and public dialogue workshops.

    I want to place on record my thanks to all those who took part, giving their time, their expertise, and their experience to help shape this work.

    Bovine TB remains one of the most difficult and persistent animal health challenges we face. We know the toll it takes, not only on cattle but on farmers, their families, vets, and rural communities. Too many have lived with that burden for too long.

    We must also recognise that bovine TB is a deeply contested and often polarised issue, particularly around wildlife and the role of badgers in disease spread. Let me be clear: the badger cull is ending, and no new licences can be issued under that policy, as we instead keep the focus on cattle while also protecting wildlife.

    When we announced the co-design of a new strategy in August 2024, this Government committed to end the badger cull by the end of this Parliament, and we have made good on that commitment.

    The 2025 culling season marked the final year of industry-led culling in England’s high risk and edge areas. Today, just one licence remains in Cumbria in the low risk area. However, no decision has been taken by Natural England to authorise culling under that licence in 2026, and I understand that the licence will be formally revoked by it, with a transition to badger vaccination now under way.

    Against that backdrop, I welcome the steering group’s recommended strategy. It sets out a clear direction, and what we now need to deliver: reducing TB in cattle, improving early detection, giving farmers and vets more agency to manage disease risk, strengthening biosecurity, and keeping a firm focus on the long-term prize of achieving officially bovine TB free status for England by 2038.

    This goal matters. It means lifting the shadow of this disease from farming families, restoring confidence for the future, growing the rural economy, and supporting profitable, resilient farm businesses.

    The publication today is an important step forward. It responds directly to the challenge set by Professor Sir Charles Godfray and his panel to increase the pace and urgency of our efforts. Crucially, it also sets a clear ambition to deploy a cattle vaccine and a DIVA—detect infected among vaccinated animals—test by 2030. A licence application for the vaccine has already been submitted to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

    The Government will now consider the steering group’s proposals carefully, and we will do so at pace. We will continue to work closely with farmers, vets, scientists and industry partners to move swiftly from recommendation to delivery, so that the momentum we have begun is not lost.

    Our intention is therefore to translate this strategy into action without delay, through a series of rolling three to five year delivery plans that ensure progress is sustained, transparent, and felt on the ground.

    I will update the House further in due course.